Tirah families to begin phased return from October 10

Tirah families to begin phased return from October 10

A high-level jirga comprising senior military and civil officials and members of a 24-member advisory committee has agreed to begin the phased return of displaced families to Tirah Valley from October 10.

However, the Tehreek Mutasireen Tirah has raised concerns over the lack of an official government notification and called for an immediate formal announcement.

Sources said the jirga included elders from the 24-member committee, senior military officials, district administration representatives and officials from relevant departments. The participants agreed that authorities would fully stabilise the security situation in Tirah before allowing families to return. They also pledged to implement all 37 demands presented by the committee.

Development projects already underway in the valley will continue, while officials assured the committee that the concerns of verified affectees would receive priority attention. Several issues raised during the meeting were reportedly resolved on the spot.

Meanwhile, the registration and verification of Tirah affectees listed with the GRC continues at a NADRA centre in Haji Market, Bara. Authorities are issuing SIM cards to verified eligible individuals and distributing financial assistance.

More than 20,000 affectees have received financial aid so far, while payments to other eligible families remain in process. Lists containing more than 4,000 affectees have been issued at Haji Market, with nearly 3,000 already verified.

Sohbat Khan Afridi, spokesperson for Tehreek Mutasireen Tirah, told *The Express Tribune* that displaced families have been staging a sit-in outside Bara Press Club for the past 170 days. He said that although members of the 24-member committee have mentioned October 10 as the return date, the government and jirga have yet to issue an official notification, leaving affected families uncertain about their future.